Any chemical engineers on pelican?

[Arizona_928]

I recently was accepted into Arizona State for chemical engineering, BSE. If anyone could share their experience with the field, or would pm me. I would love to pick some brains! Especially if I should stay more towards the organic side, or should consider biochemistry?!

[drew1]

Congratulations & best of luck with your studies.

Not being an engineer or a chemist, I suggest you keep options open during your freshman year while taking low level classes. From my ignorance, I think organic chemistry deals with carbon molecules and since biochemistry ought to include many of the same compounds, there may be some higher level classes to help in both fields.

It seems that much of the chemical engineers work is making chemical reactions take place more effciently. This could involve different catalysts or even starting with different materials as some may become costly or unavailable due to world situations. Their work probably addresses quality, maybe things like blanketing with low pressure inert gases to keep elements in the atmoshere from contaminating the reactions. These are reasons some inorganic classes may be important.

Although thermodynamics is a deep field, I would take a mechanical engineering class introducing me to heat transfer. Time temperature relationship, you ought to get more of your compound with the same equipment if you can transfer heat more faster.

Also, I would take a class whose lab gives me some hands on with a polarizing microscope, Michel Levy Chart and McCrone Institute Atlas. Ideally, you would hope to sell your byproducts but some may have to be disposed of. Eviromentally, they need to be correctly identified to be disposed of properly. Crystaline compounds & many fibers can be identified or a least narrowed down (along with organics like starches) by their colors under crossed polarizers of the microscope. This would cut down on the expense and time of setting up experimental apparatus to start for a shot in the dark anylysis. You would have a good idea where to start.

Well this stuff from somebody who probaly knows less than you about the field, will at least bump you up so a chemical engineer will see and respond.

[HarryD]

I am a ChE. Back in the day, a ChE would take:

several chemistry courses with organic class and lab plus some inorganic classes;
Math through differential equations;
Fluid mechanics;
Heat transfer;
Mass transfer;
Reaction engineering;
Thermodynamics (both classical-like a ME and a separate one focused on chemical reaction thermodynamics);
Industrial chemistry;
Plus other electives and ChE specific classes.

In fact up to my junior year, the ChE and ME curriculum was very similar once you eliminate the additional chemistry I needed to take.

As you can see, we duplicate much of the early ME curriculum before branching into the aspects that are unique to ChE. When I graduated, I was about 4 to 6 classes short of a chemistry major and a ME major.

It is a tough curriculum. The classes teach you look for holistic solutions while giving the tools to examine the details. Because of the broad exposure to many of the allied engineering fields, you are well positioned to take a leadership role.

Through my career I have been a process engineer, project engineer, project/construction manager, environmental engineer, high tech facilities engineer, and consultant. I have worked in the coal, bulk organic chemical, power generation, semiconductor and commercial/industrial construction industries. .

[skinnerd]

I was a Chem E/Petroleum Refining graduate from Colorado School of Mines many moons ago. I worked in the oil & gas arena Gulf coast as a process engineer working both offshore and onshore. Pretty interesting mix of field and office work.

Later in my career, I transitioned into hi tech when I received a Masters in EE with concentration in Device Physics and Semiconductor Processing. Helped to make computer chips. I was a product engineer that tested the chips....if something was amiss, my job was to determine what part of the manufacturing process was causing the problem.

So you can see that Chem E can cover a wide variety of job descriptions.

I would get as broad exposure as possible through your classwork to the different distinct fields that Chem E has access to.
One of the newer fields might be all the "fancy dan" equipment that is being developed for the bio-engineering field.
I think this field has no boundaries....the sky is the limit.

Good luck with you coursework.
And study hard.
GPA is very important when getting your 1st job out of college.
Additionally, try to get some good summer internships.
That kind of experience will make your resume stand out to recruiters.

[Tilikum Turbo]

Graduating as an EE, I have worked and consulted in the petro-chemical industry.
Also very dynamic work, never boring.

If your going chemical engineering, petro-chemical is very lucrative...highest salaries/perks/bonuses, etc. Going to other places like Saudi, Alaska, China, Canada, etc is fun(if you like to travel, and are tolerant and can adapt to other cultures/people)

Good luck in your career.

[id10t]

At UF, *all* engineering has the same first 2 years. Gen ed stuff, math thru calc 2 and diff eq., 2 physics w/ calc, 2 chemistries

[Tilikum Turbo]

Originally Posted by id10t

At UF, *all* engineering has the same first 2 years. Gen ed stuff, math thru calc 2 and diff eq., 2 physics w/ calc, 2 chemistries

Are those real engineers or the companies that give the title of 'engineer' with something else, such as 'software engineer'

Kid recently applied to a position at my work, and I had to interview him. He had no formal engineering background. He was a programmer, and the copy of his transcript said nothing about graduating as either a nuclear, civil, mechanical, electrical or chemical engineering.

Some how HR was under that misconception, they are now clear, and needless to say, I could not accept him for the position he was unqualified for.

Paralegals are not attorneys, nurses are not doctors, and technicians and programmers are not engineers. None of the former listed before the professionals would be qualified either in a court of law to provide a professional opinion.

[mjohnson]

Originally Posted by Tilikum Turbo

Are those real engineers or the companies that give the title of 'engineer' with something else, such as 'software engineer'...

That was more or less the deal at CO School of Mines. ME, Civil, ChemE, EE, Geology, Mining, Metallurgy all had the same core courses for the first year or so. It really helped ease the pain of switching majors early in your schooling - and it let everyone share the agony of those weed out courses.

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by Tilikum Turbo

Are those real engineers or the companies that give the title of 'engineer' with something else, such as 'software engineer'

< snip>

Paralegals are not attorneys, nurses are not doctors, and technicians and programmers are not engineers. None of the former listed before the professionals would be qualified either in a court of law to provide a professional opinion.

Exactly. A job title of "engineer" is not the same as having the training etc. to be an Engineer in the eyes of the law.

The engineering degree programs (regardless of the title) prepare you to have the skills and knowledge to preform a large number of technical tasks that you do not study in school. Engineering is about problem solving within a fixed set of constraints (materials, time, money etc.).

To be a Registered Professional Engineer, check with your State engineering Board to see what it takes to be registered. It includes formal education, testing, time as an apprentice, and references by others. While Civil and Structural Engineers are the largest groups getting a PE License, the other disciplines can also get the registration in their chosen field.

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by mjohnson

That was more or less the deal at CO School of Mines. ME, Civil, ChemE, EE, Geology, Mining, Metallurgy all had the same core courses for the first year or so. It really helped ease the pain of switching majors early in your schooling - and it let everyone share the agony of those weed out courses.

I believe this is true at most, if not all, engineering schools.

In my ChE program, all the engineering disciplines (except EE) started together and as time progressed, different groups moved to their specialties (Civils after math and fluid mechanics, ME's after math, fluid mechanics and heat transfer). At my school, thermo was taught differently to ChE's and ME's or we would have taken this together as well.

[thingmon]

In looking at career paths for my son recently, I was surprised to find that Chem E starting salaries had dropped in relation to the other engineering disciplines. I spoke to one of the HR persons at my company and, apparently, there is an over abundance at the moment. Don't let that put you off, if this is your passion, but it's something to consider.

If not part of the curriculum, a class or two on emissions monitoring and/or permitting would be good to have in your tool box. Where I work, it's always part of the evaluation process to consider potential emissions and air permitting consequences of any new project or process change.

Definitely try to get some practical experience and, if you're able to get an internship, ask a lot of questions and do your best to make a positive impact (saving money one way or another is always a good selling point). We look for this when evaluating resumes. Solids grades are critical but not everything. Consider joining an association like the AICHE too. Student memberships are inexpensive and can be very informative.

And try not to accumulate a lot of debt in the process. It's no fun digging out from under it.

Diligence is the mother of good luck. Benjamin Franklin

[Arizona_928]

I should have been more specific in my first post. I am transferring in from community college, where I have completed all of the lower level electives and sciences; bio, gen chem, and organic. I really enjoyed taking organic, which initially pushed me towards a chemistry degree. After comparing it to ChE, I have more core classes that transfer to the engineering.
Especially since, I'm going to be paying for university, I mind as well go big. I know I'll have to take all the classes that Drew, Doug, and Harry mentioned. I think I will do fine in those classes due to the fact each of those topics have been introduced in general chem, and physics.

I really want to get into the petroleum side of the field, as biology doesn't quite keep my interest.

[HarryD]

Keep your options open as an Undergrad. If you want to specialize, do it as a higher degree or let you employer do the training. I think I am speaking for many of us in saying the what you think you will do when you graduate is totally different then what you ultimately end up doing.

[drew1]

Good to know you have a head start with the community college.

I noticed that the engineers who replied mentioned internships. That is good advice. The way I look at it, an education is like putting tools in a tool box. An internship will give you a chance to use them. On an internship, your box won't be full of tools but after using wrenches you will want that ratchet and sockets real bad. You will get more out of the remaining classes because you see their purpose.

A community college has some advantages. In a big four year school, lower level classes may be taught by academic types, graduate students who haven't been to the field. Community colleges tend to have classes taught by those that have been in the field.

One disadvantage you may have is calculus is taught as a subject, but science such as physics is taught algebra based. At least thats the way it was at our local community college years ago. I hope yours was different.